Abstract
This work presents a novel user oriented approach that can relate materials science with technological applications in a more transparent, systematic and efficient manner. We have made an attempt to figure out the optimal (corresponding to best combination of material properties) sintering temperature of K
0.5
Na
0.5
NbO
3
(KNN) for transducer and electrical energy storage applications. The weights and priority of vital physical properties for applications understudy are calculated using the quality function deployment (QFD) method. Losses (tanδ), charge storage properties (ϵ
r
, P
r
and E
C
) and elastic compliance (s
E
12
and s
E
11
) are found to have negative priority for transducer application while in the other case d
31
, tanδ, s
E
12
and s
E
11
are spotted to have negative priority. Priority order for transducer and energy storage application is d
31
>k
p
>Q
M
>T
c
>tanδ>ϵ
r
>P
r
=E
C
=s
E
12
=s
E
11
>ρ and ϵ
r
>d
31
=tanδ>s
E
12
=s
E
11
>T
c
>P
r
>E
C
>k
p
>ρ>Q
M
, respectively. Finally, 1080°C (transducer) and 1120°C (capacitor) are the found to be the most appropriate solutions among the alternatives under using modified analytic hierarchy process (AHP).